Low bottom car



Sept. 3, 1935. H. w. SANFORD LOW BOTTOM CAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Filed Nov. 17', 1952 Sept. 3, 1935. I w SANFORD Q 2,013,583

LOW BOTTOM CAR Filed Nov. 17, 1952 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. '3, 1935. H. w. SANFORD LOW BOTTOM CAR Filed Nov. 17, 1932 3 SheetsSheet s m u I Patented Sept. 3, 1935 35 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in industrial cars of the low bottom type.

One of the features of the present invention is the provision of a low bottom car assembly in which center sills are employed above the car bottom and spaced apart laterally at the center of the car to converge toward the end of the car to permit employment of a relatively cheap end construction and to resist haulage and bumping strains.

Another feature of the present invention is a low bottom car having hoods extending over the wheels, with pedestal members for engaging the car axles and serving at the same time to support the wheel covers and connect them to other parts of the car.

A further feature of the present invention is a low bottom car having bottom and side members, the bottom members being located beneath the axis of the load-carrying wheels and formed of sheet material by simple shearing and perforating operations thereon.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a low bottom car in which the plane of the bottom is located beneath the axis of the load-carrying wheels, in conjunction with center sills and wheel covers located above the gaps of the bottom, and with tunnel pieces of substantially the same dimensions lengthwise of the car as said wheel covers and extending between the center sills and over the axles for the purpose of closing the bottom.

My co-pending application Serial No. 647,795, filed December 17, 1932, describes the pedestal casting disclosed herein, and no claim is made in this application specifically to this casting except in its general combination with the car.

These and other objects will appear in the course of the following specification and claims, in conjunction with the drawings in which an illustrative form of construction according to this invention is set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a car.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section substantially on line 4- 1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section substantially on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a bearing detail.

In the drawings, the bottom is shown as comprised of the two end plates I0, I l and the center plate E2 which are spaced from one another to receive the wheels therebetween. It will be noted that the middle plate I2 is rectangular, while the end plates l0 and II have two rectangular corners, and the remaining portions of each plate may be simply formed by cutting the pieces. Each of the plates N], H, I! preferably constitutes a simple plane, and these plates lie in a single plane when assembled in the car.

Connected to and extending vertically from 7 these bottom plate members are the side Walls 83, I4 which preferably are bent through an angle of degrees at their bottom edges to form flanges l5 which are connected by riveting to the bottom plates, while at their top edges they are bent over to form the curled portion l6. Pairs of end wall pieces ll at each end of the car are likewise bent at their bottoms to provide flanges [8 which are secured by riveting to the end bottom plates Ill and H. The pairs of end plates ll do not meet but are spaced apart across the longitudinal axis of the car in the illustrated form. Longitudinal central reinforcing members or center sills i9, 20 extend between the inner ends of these pairs of end plates I1, and are secured at their ends by angle gusset pieces 2! which are riveted both to the end plates H and to the center sills l 9, 26 (Figures 1 and 4) It will be noted from Figure 4 that in the illustrated form the center sills I9, 20 are not as high as the sides or ends of the car so that the gusset or tie pieces 2| are formed with an inclined upper edge extending from the end wall downward toward the top edge of the center sills I9, 20. The center sills converge as they pass from the center of the car toward its ends and are illustrated as extending parallel to one another across the wheel axles and the central portions of the car (Figures 1 and 2) The center sills l 9, 20 have flanges 23 which are bent into parallelism with the bottom plates In, H, H and are secured thereto.

Opposite the positions for the wheel axles are provided tunnel pieces comprising metal sheets which are bent to provide the foot members 24 which overlap and are secured to the bottom plats and span the gaps therebetween, and between said foot members are located the tunnel loops 25 proper, which arch upwardly over the wheel axles A, B (Figure 4), and permit the wheel axes thus to be above the plane of the bottom plates Ill, ll, l2. At the ends, the foot members 24 and the arch portions 25 are provided with upstanding tie walls 26 which are secured to the center sills I9, 20 (Figures 4 and 5).

Between the center sills I9, 20 and the adjacent side walls l3, M are provided the wheel covers 30 which have bottom flanges 3| resting against and secured to the bottom plates I0, ll, I2, and are likewise secured to the side walls as for example by the employment of the angle irons 32 which correspond to the shape of the wheel covers and are secured directly to the side walls It, M (Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5) These wheel covers are likewise made of sheet metal pieces by bending to the desired shape, and each may be formed from a sheet of metal of uniform width. The wheel covers are illustrated as extending above the center sills i9, 23, and the space therebetween is closed by pedestal castings having vertical closing walls 38, peripheral flange walls ll, an axle aperture 42, and a secondary flange piece 43 paralleling the upper arcuate end of the axle aperture 32. These castings are secured within the wheel covers, and are likewise attached to the reinforcing pieces 19, 20. A rigid and stiff construction is thus afforded.

It will be noted that the center sills i9, 20 are cut away similarly to the apertures 42 provided in the pedestal castings, to permit the free passage and turning of the axles A, B, but are reinforced by the pedestal castings at these points. The flanges 23 of these center sills may be carried across the spaces betweenthe bottom plates I ll, H, l2 and thus serve to tie the parts together at these points. Likewise, the bottom flanges [5 of the side walls l3, 14, may be similarly carried across (Figure 5).

The wheel axles A, B are provided at their ends with proper bearings for the rail wheels W, and adjacent the bearings therefor with collars 45 which are received between the walls 40 and the flanges 43 of the pedestal castings, whereby the axles are prevented from axial movement relative to the car body. Further, by this arrangement, the dropping of the wheel at one side, relative to the body, does not release the axle from the body, since it remains held at the other side. Since the body is supported at all times at at least three points, each axle remains in engagement at at least one end.

It is preferred to cut away the side walls I3, I 4 (Figure 3) in line with the tunnel arch pieces 25, to provide holes 49 so that the axles may be inserted and removed by pulling them in the direction of their lengths after the wheels have been withdrawn and the axles dropped at both sides to disengage them from the pedestal castings.

At the ends of the car, and closing the gaps between the pairs of end plates H, are the end truss members 59, 55 which are secured to the pairs of end plates il and when riveting is employed as in the illustrated form, the same rivets are preferably employed for securing a tie gusset 2l, the adjacent end plate I! and the adjacent end truss 5B, 5! rigidly together. The end trusses 50, 5! are turned outwardly at their bottoms to form flanges 52, while to them are secured the angle members 53 which extend parallel to the flanges 52 and provide a channel for the reception of wooden buifer pieces 5 at each end of the car (Fig. 3). The flange 52 and the angle piece 53 connected to the end truss 5! are shown as apertured to receive the coupling pin 55 which is held at a predetermined position of height by a secondary angle member 56 secured to the end member 5| while the open end of the channel between flange 52 and angle member 53 may be covered by a buffer piece 51 which is bolted (Fig. 1) to these pieces.

At the right hand end of the car, as shown in the figures, the channel extending between the flange 52 and the angle member 53 may similarly be closed by a buffer piece 69 which extends inward above the flange 53 to the end truss 59. Above the bulTer piece 60, an angle member 6! is secured to the end truss 55. Between the bufier piece 65 and the angle member 5! is provided an enlarged sliding head 62 of the coupler rigging, with the pin 63 for receiving the coupler link 64. The stem 65 of the coupler head 62 extends through the end truss 56 and into a tube 66 having a flange 6'! secured to the inner side of the end member 55 (Figs. 1 and l). The coupler spring 68 is located within this sleeve, and the shoulder 69 and nut Til on the stem 65 causes retraction, with an adjusted effort, of the coupler head 62.

It is preferred to provide the draft eyes on the end plates H, closely adjacent to the reinforcing pieces i9, 25 so that the cars may be towed in the event of breakage of the couplers.

It will be noted that few and simple castings are employed, and that the major portion of the car is constructed of sheet metal members which may be simply formed by shearing and bending operations. A particular feature is the extremely low lading bottom surface, with longitudinally extending stiffening pieces, the tunnel members for the reception of the car axles, and the wheel covers, these tunnel pieces and wheel covers also serving to stiiTen the car body.

The provision of the center sills which are spaced at the middle of the car for strengthening the car bottom, to converge at at least one end or the car, permits the employment of short end truss members and buifer parts. The center sills are thus directly connected to the buffer and coupler parts and serve to transmit traction and pushing strains. The convergent relationship of the two center sill members affords great resistance to such strains even when they occur at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the car. By tying the center sills to the narrow end trusses, a great strength is afiorded to resist blows or pulls which tend to distort the car end truss walls inwardly and outwardly. The tying gussets between the bottom, the center sills and the end trusses effect a direct connection to the buffer and coupler members, so that all strains are transmitted to both center sills in normal transit.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited solely to the form of construction shown but that it may be modified in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

l. A low bottom car including a bottom portion extending straight from side to side of the car, side and end walls, said bottom portion having holes therein between the cent r and ends of the car to receive car wheels, bumper structures at the ends of the car, car axles, center sills located above and connected with said bottom portion and extending parallel from car axle to car axle and having angularly directed ends extending to and connected with said bumper structures, car wheels extending through said holes and having their axles above the bottom portion, wheel covers connected to said bottom and extending over the wheels, and pedestal castings connected with said wheel covers and receiving said axles.

2. A low bottom car including a bottom portion extending straight from side to side of the car, side and end walls, said bottom portion having holes therein between the center and ends of the car to receive car wheels, bumper structures at the ends of the car, car axles located above said bottom portion, center sills located above and connected with said bottom portion and extending parallel from car axle to car axle and having angularly directed ends extending to and connected with said bumper structures, car wheels xtending through said holes, axle tunnel portions for forming a lading surface between the wheel covers and extending over said axles and connected to said bottom, wheel covers connected to said bottom and extending over the wheels, and pedestal castings connected with said wheel covers and said tunnel portions and receiving said axles.

3. A low bottom car including a bottom having its center and ends located substantially in a horizontal plane, side and end walls, said bottom having holes therein between the center and at least one end for receiving car wheels, spaced center sills located above and connected to the bottom, wheel covers connected to said bottom for covering over the wheel holes and extending above the center sills and having lateral openings thereabove, an axle tunnel portion for forming a lading surface between the wheel covers and extending above the bottom, pedestal castings having substantially upright walls serving as side lading walls for closing the openings of the wheel covers and connected to the wheel hood covers and said center sills, a car axle located in said tunnel portion with its axis above said plane and bearing in the corresponding pedestal castings, and wheels on said axle and extending through said holes beneath said wheel covers.

l. A low bottom car including upright side walls, center and end bottom metal plates having substantially straight adjacent transverse edges which extend substantially parallel to one another from side to side of the car and are spaced apart for the reception of car wheels, spaced metal longitudinal side sills extending from end to end of the car between the wheels, axles and wheels located at the gaps between the bottom plates with the axes of said wheels above said edges, independent wheel covers connected to the bottom plates and extending across the gaps between said bottom plates and over said wheels, and pieces including arched portions passing over the axles and connected to the bottom plates and side sills for closing the bottom between the plates and wheel covers.

5. A low bottom car including wheels and axles, a bottom having at least substantial portions located below the axes of the wheels and having holes for the wheels, side and end walls, spaced center sills located above and connected to said bottom, and wheel covers located between the side walls and the adjacent center sills and over the wheels for closing said holes and connected to and projecting above the center sills and having lateral openings thereabove, and pedestal castings connected to said center sills and wheel covers for closing the said openings of said wheel covers and stiiiening the car structure at the inner ends of the wheel covers and adjacent parts of the center sills.

6. A low bottom car including wheels and ames, bottom plates having substantially straight adjacent transverse edges spaced apart and extending substantially parallel from one car wheel to another for the reception of the car wheels and located below the axes thereof, spaced center sills located above and connected to said bottom, means connected to said bottom for covering the wheels and the adjacent portions of the gaps between the bottom plates, and arched tunnel pieces extending between and connected to said center sills for closing the gaps and for extending over the axles, said wheel cover means extending above said tunnel pieces, and axle-receiving castings for closing said wheel covering means and extending above said tunnel pieces, and means for rigidly connecting said castings to said sills and tunnel pieces and to said wheel covering means.

'7. A low bottom car including axles and pairs of wheels thereon, a bottom formed of longitudinally spaced portions having substantially straight adjacent transverse edges extending substantially parallel to one another transversely from Wheel to wheel to provide gaps for the reception of the car wheels and located below the axes thereof, side and end walls, spaced center 5 located above and connected to said bottom and end walls and extending across said gaps and located between the wheels of each pair, wheel covers connected, to said side walls and bottom and extending to the adjacent center sills, and pedestals located Within the inner ends of the wheel covers and secured thereto and to said adjacent center sills.

8. A low bottom car including wheels and collared axles, a bottom located below the axes of the wheels and having holes therein for the reception of car wheels, side and end walls extending upward from said bottom, wheel hoods for closing said holes and extending over the wheels, and tunnel pieces including arched portionsv for extending over the wheel axles, said pieces being connected to the bottom, said side walls and wheel hoods having holes in line with the arched portions whereby the collared axles may be withdrawn by an axial movement, and means on said wheel hoods for engaging the axle collars for normally preventing such axial movement.

9. A low bottom car including wheels and collared axles, a bottom located below the axes of the wheels and having holes therein for the reception of car wheels, side and end walls, wheel hoods for closing said holes and extending over the wheels, upright members surrounding the axles and sealing the inner ends of the hoods, tunnel pieces including arched portions for extending over the wheel axles, said pieces being connected to the bottom, said side walls and wheel hoods having holes in line with the arched portions whereby the collared axles may be withdrawn by an axial movement, and means on said upright members for engaging the axle collars for normally preventing such axial movement.

10. A low bottom car including a metal bottom and side walls in rigid relationship thereto; longitudinal sill means in secured relationship to said bottom and located thereabove and having end portions which are spaced apart; axles for supporting the sill means and having journals located above the bottom; an end structure comprising a central member extending from end portion to end portion of said sill means, end wall plates at each side of the car extending from the central member and each connected to the corresponding side wall and to the bottom, and bump and traction receiving meansrigid with the central member at the height of the said end portions; and bracing means connected to the end portions and to the end walls and central member, said bracing and sill means thereby cooperating to stifien said central member at points above the bottom against inward and outward bending thereof.

11. A low bottom car including a metal bottom and side walls in rigid relationship thereto; longitudinal sill means in secured relationship to said bottom and located thereabove and having end portions which are spaced apart; ames for supporting the sill means and having journals located above said bottom; an end structure including an end lading-retaining wall portion connected to the ends of the sill means and to the bottom, and bumper and coupling means fixed to the said end wall portion and located above the bottom; wheels on said axles, said bottom having holes for receiving said Wheels, and wheel covers extending over the wheels between the side walls and the sill means and secured to said side walls, bottom and sill means whereby to provide a transverse support for lateral portions of the bottom between said ends and to close said holes between the side walls and sill means.

12. A low bottom car including a metal bottom and side walls in rigid relationship thereto; longitudinal sills in secured relationship to said bottom and located thereabove; said sills being spaced apart throughout their lengths; axles for supporting the sills and having journals located above said bottom; an end structure including an end lading-retaining wall portion connected to the ends of the sills and to the bottom, and bumper and coupling means fixed to the said end wall portion and located above the bottom; wheels on said axles, said bottom having holes for receiving said wheels, wheel covers extending over said wheels between the side walls and the sills and secured to said side walls, bottom and sills whereby to provide a transverse support for lateral portions of the bottom between the ends of the car and to close the holes between the side walls and the sills, and pieces including arched portions located between said longitudinal sills for receiving the axles and connected to said bottom and sills whereby to close said holes between the sills and operate with said transverse support for stiiiening the car.

13. A low bottom car including wheels and axles, a bottom, side and end walls, longitudinal center sills connected to said bottom, said bottom having holes therein for the reception of the wheels, wheel covers located between each said side wall and the adjacent center sill and connected to said wall and sill and to said bottom for closing said holes, said center sills having lesser vertical dimensions than said wheel covers, pedestal pieces located at and secured to the inner ends of said wheel covers whereby to close the same above said longitudinal sills, cross braces for supporting said pedestal pieces against movement away from one another, and single securing means for joining said braces and longitudinal sills and pedestals.

14. A low bottom car including a plate metal bottom, and longitudinal sill members connected to said bottom substantially throughout their length and spaced from one another, an end structure narrower than the spacing of said sill members at the mid-length of the car, said sill members converging toward one another adjacent said end structure and joined thereto at an acute angle, whereby angular traction and bumping strains are transmitted to said sill members and distributed thereby to said bottom, said end structure including an end wall extending upward from said bottom and joined to the ends of said sill members.

15. A low bottom car including a plate metal bottom, and longitudinal sill members located above and connected to said bottom substantially throughout their length and spaced from one another, an end structure narrower than the spacing of said sill members at the mid-length of the car, said sill members converging toward one another adjacent said end structure and joined thereto at an acute angle, whereby angular traction and bumping strains are transmitted to said sill members and distributed thereby to said bottom, said end structure including an end wall extending upward from said bottom and joined to the ends of said sill members.

16. A vehicle including sides and a bottom connected together, longitudinal reinforcing pieces located above and connected to said bottom throughout the length of the bottom and spaced from one another and the sides, end structures connected tothe bottom and reinforcing pieces and including an end lading-retaining wall with burnper and coupling means secured thereto, said bumper being shorter in the transverse direction of the vehicle than the maximum span between the reinforcing pieces, said pieces converging toward one another at the ends so that the pieces are stiff against angular traction and bumping strains and distribute such strains to the bottom.

17. A vehicle including sides and a bottom connected together, a pair of longitudinal reinforcing pieces connected to said bottom and spaced from one another and from said side walls, a first end wall connected tosaid sides and bottom and to said reinforcing pieces at one end thereof, said reinforcing pieces converging toward one another at the other end, and a transverse car end structure at said other end of the car comprising a central heavy-wall member connected to said pieces and said bottom and a pair of lateral wall members each connected to one of said pieces and the adjacent said side and to said bottom, and bumper and coupling means connected to said central member, said pieces being convergent from the center toward said other end to resist angular traction and bumping strains on said bumper and coupling means and distribute such strains to the bottom.

18. In a low-bottom mine or similar rail car, the combination oi car wheels, car axles supporting the car wheels, transverse end sill-structures including bumper and coupling means for receiving the bumping and traction strains, longitudinal sill-members for connecting the end sillstructures inside the track gauge lines and for receiving the bumping and traction strains from the transverse sill-structures and located at least in part below the horizontal plane of the axes of the car wheels, axle boxings on the sill-members for the axles, said sill-members having parallel portions connected to and extending between the axle boxings in a direction at right angles to the car axles and the ends of the sill-members adjacent at least one transverse sill-structure extending at obtuse angles to said portions.

19. A mine car as in claim 18, in which the sillmembers converge toward one another adjacent said one transverse sill-structure.

20. A mine car as in claim 18, in which the sillrnembers are reinforced at the junctions of said. portions and angular ends by bracing means located below the axles and connecting each said portion with the corresponding angular end to form a truss in a horizontal plane.

' '21. A car as in claim 13, in which a steel plate forming part of the car bottom is fastened to the sill-members below the axles for stiffening the sill-rnembers against yielding to bumping and traction haulage strains.

22. A car as in claim 18, in which a steel plate forming part of the bottom is fastened to the low-er parts of the sill-members at said portions and at the anguiar ends to form a truss in a horizontal plane whereby to stiffen the sill-meniloers against yielding to bumping and traction haulage strains.

23. In a low bottom mine or similar rail car, the combination of car wheels, car axles suppor ing the car wheels, transverse end sill-structures for receiving the bumping and coupling strains, longitudinal sill-members for connecting the end sill-structures and located inside the track gauge lines for receiving the bumping and coupling strains from the transverse sill-structures and located at least in part below the horizontal plane of the axes of the car wheels, portions of said longitudinal sill-members adjacent the cen ter of length of the car lying close to the insides of the car wheels and extending parallel to one another between the upright planes of the axles, the transverse sill-structure at one end of the car being shorter than the span between said portions of the longitudinal sill-members, said longitudinal sill-members converging from said portions to the transverse sill-structure at said end of the car.

24. A car as in claim 18, in which two said sillmembers have their parallel portions lying close to the insides of the car wheels and converge at their ends between .the car axles and the adjacent transverse sill-structures, and including a steel plate forming part of the car bottom fastened to both parallel portions at low parts of the same and being also fastened to the converging ends of the sill-members whereby the two sill-members are braced against spreading and against bending in arhorizontal plane.

25. A low bottom car including wheels and collared axles, a bottom extending substantially horizontally from side to side of the car and located and having holes therein below the axles for the reception of the car wheels, side and end walls extending upward from the bottom, wheel hoods for closing said holes and extending over the wheels, tunnel pieces including arched portions for extending over the axles, said hoods and pieces being secured to the bottom to form a strengthened assembly with the same, and axle engaging members supported by said axles and normally engaging the collars thereof for preventing relative axial movement of the axles and secured to said tunnel pieces and hoods for strengthening said bottom-hood-tunnel piece assembly.

26. A low bottom car including wheels and collared axles, a bottom extending substantially horizontally from side to side of the car and located below the axles and having holes therein for the reception of the car wheels, side and end walls extending upward from the bottom, wheel hoods for closing said holes and extending over the wheels and having open inner ends, tunnel pieces including arched portions for extending over the axles and of lesser height than the open ends of said wheel hoods, said hoods and pieces being secured to the bottom to form a strengthened assembly with the same, and axle engaging members supported by said axles and normally engaging the collars thereof for preventing relative'axial movement of the axles and secured to said tunnel pieces and hoods and closing the open ends of the hoods for strengthening said bottom hood-tunnel piece assembly.

27. A low bottom car including wheels and collared axles, a bottom extending substantially horizontally from side toside of the car and located below the axles and having holes therein for the reception of the car wheels, side and end walls extending upward from the bottom, wheel hoods for closing said holes and extending over the wheels and having open inner ends, tunnel pieces including arched portions for extending over the axles and of lesser height than the open ends of said wheel hoods, said hoods and pieces being secured to the bottom, axle engaging castings supported by said axles and secured to said tunnel pieces and hoods and closing the open ends of the hoods for providing transverse strength in the bottom-hood-tunnel piece assembly and having recesses in which the axles normally engage and communicating recesses larger than said collars into which the axles may be moved and then axially moved, said side walls having openings in alinement with said larger holes for permitting axial withdrawal of the axles from the car, and means on said castings for engaging the axle collars when the corresponding axles are in the normally engaged recesses for preventing relative axial movement of the axles.

28. A vehicle including a bottom and substantially parallel side walls connected to said bottom, longitudinal sill members located above and connected to said bottom substantially throughout their length, an end structure including bump and traction receiving elements connected directly thereto, spaced transverse axles, said sill members being substantially parallel to one another and said side walls between said axles and being at an angle to one another and said side walls between said end structure and the adjacent axle whereby to resist angular traction and bumping strains on said elements, and means for connecting the ends of said sill members to said end structure at the ends of said bump receiving element so that bumping strains may be transmitted directly therefrom to the sill members.

29. A low bottom car including wheels and axles, a bottom having at least substantial portions located below the axes of the wheels and having holes for the wheels, side and end walls, spaced center sills, and wheel covers located between the side Walls and the adjacent center sills and over the wheels for closing said holes and projecting above the center sills and having lateral openings thereabove, and castings connected to said center sills and wheel covers for closing the said openings of said wheel covers.

30. In a rail car, the combination of car wheels and car axles, a lading body including a lading bottom having at least substantial portions located below the horizontal plane of the axes of the car wheels, spaced longitudinal stiffening sill-members located between the wheels and extending from end to end of the lading body and being convergent at least at one end, an end wall included in said lading body comprising side sections and a narrow central section having an outwardly extending flange, said side sections overlapping said central section, a transverse end sill bumping structure connected to said central section and stiffening the same and having its transverse dimension substantially identical with the distance between the ends'of the sill-members, a transverse end sill, and means for connecting said sections to said sillmembers at the overlaps.

. 31. In a rail car, the combination of car wheels and axles, a lading body including a lading bottom having at least substantial portions located below the horizontal plane of the axes of the car wheels, spaced longitudinal stifiening sillmembers located between the wheels and extending from end to end of the lading body, an end wall included in the lading body comprising side pieces and a central piece upstanding from the lading bottom, said central piece including an integral outwardly directed flange at the level of said lading bottom portion for stiffening said piece, a transverse end sill bumping structure including said flange, and means for connecting said central section to said sill-members including bracing members extending above the said sill-members.

32. In a rail car, car wheels and axles, a lading body including a lading bottom, and a steel plate end lading body wall comprising a plurality of parts connected along substantially vertical lines and including a central part having an outwardly directed flange at its lower end extending beyond the lading body of the car and side sections connected to said central part, and a transverse end sill bumping structure including said flange, said lading bottom including a portion below the plane of the car axles and overlapping and connected to said flange.

33. A rail car as in claim 32, including longitudinal sill-members, and means for connecting said sill-members rigidly to said central part of the end lading wall, and to" said bottom, said flange being located in alignment with the lower portions of said longitudinal sill-members.

34. In a low-bottom mine or similar rail car, car wheels and axles, a lading body including a lading bottom having at least substantial portions located below the horizontal plane of the axes of the car wheels and a lading body end wall comprising a plurality of sections joined on substantially vertical lines, the central section thereof having an integral outwardly extending flange located in a substantially horizontal plane, plate means located in substantially upright longitudinal planes and connected to the bottom and to said sections and extending above the axles for stiffening the end wall, and a transverse end sill bumping structure including said flange.

35. In a low-bottom mine or similar rail car, car wheels and axles, a lading body including a lading bottom having at least substantial portions located below the horizontal plane of the axes of the car wheels and a lading body end wall comprising a plurality of sections joined on substantially vertical lines, the central section thereof having at its lower edge an outwardly extending flange located in a substantially horizontal plane, and a transverse end sill bumping structure including said flange and other elements joined to said central section of the end wall whereby said bumping structure stifiens the end wall and is itself stifiened thereby, and bracing means connecting the bottom and end wall at junctions of the sections thereof and extending upwardly at least to the top of the bumping structure.

HUGH W. SANFORD. 

